Fresh off a 126-104 victory in Game 3 that seemed to breathe new life into the Cleveland Cavaliers after going down 2-0 in their second-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, many believed that the 64-win Cavs were going to return to their regular-season form — especially with the returns of Darius Garland, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter from injuries.
However, Game 4 could not have gone any worse for the Cavs; they struggled to score in the first half of Game 1 and struggled to take care of the basketball as well. And with the Pacers refusing to miss, there was only going to be one winner of what quickly became a lopsided contest — with Indiana taking a 41-point lead (80-39) into the halftime interval en route to a 129-109 Game 4 loss for the Cavs that has their season on the brink of a premature end.
Even Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson could do nothing but concede that the Pacers were all over them and that they were outplayed in every aspect of the game.
“Complete domination by them. That’s the story — in every facet,” Atkinson said, per Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files.
The Pacers found a different gear on both ends of the floor; they made 30 of their 50 field-goal attempts in the first half, including 12 of their 18 three-point tries, while forcing 14 turnovers from the Cavs. Even with Cleveland finding a better rhythm offensively in the second half, the Pacers had already built such a huge cushion that the Cavs couldn’t overcome, especially with Donovan Mitchell exiting due to an ankle injury.
“They dominated with force. They raised their game to another level and we didn’t match it,” Atkinson added, via Danny Cunningham of The Inside Shot.
Cavs’ season might be toast
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
A series isn’t quite over until a team wins four games, but the Cavs, to put it nicely, are in a difficult spot heading into Game 5. Donovan Mitchell’s status remains up in the air, and if he isn’t able to suit up on Tuesday, then Cleveland is in real trouble.
Kenny Atkinson has to coach with a sense of urgency that he doesn’t seem to have shown yet in this year’s playoffs. Perhaps relying more on his twin-tower duo, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, while cutting the minutes of role players such as Ty Jerome, Isaac Okoro, and Dean Wade could prove useful. Their season is on the line, and they will have to do whatever it takes to avoid seeing their dream season go up in smoke.
